The Best and The Worst One Hit Wonders.

[Big Doopie]

He was the strongest rider in the race.

um...no.

he gained a handful of seconds on the MTT.

the only stage he gained time really was the second Pyrenean stage that Miller won. He never, ever, would have been allowed that long a leash if he wasn't way back on GC.

and over their entire career, delgado was never in the same league as lemond and fignon. not even close.

 

[Big Doopie]

Ocana out-climbed Merckx but never destroyed him.

Please check the results of the Orcieres-Merlette stage in 1971. Merckx (not on a bad day) lost 9 minutes to Ocana. That is the definition of "destroyed". he wasn't giving him a long leash. ocana was his known main rival who had just dropped him on the puy de dome and only a few seconds separated them on GC...

but staying healthy and injury-free was always an issue

agreed 100%. but doesn't that exactly factor into who is the best one-time winner. just natural talent...

The same could be said for a few other riders who were more consistently near the top.

none of them ever, ever, dominated Merckx in his heyday.

In my opinion, Felice Gimondi was the best of this group...My vote for best is for Gimondi.

An extremely worthy choice (and second on my list)! Gimondi's entire career, more than any other rider, was hurt by Merckx's. However, in pure brilliance, he was never on the same footing as Ocana. Orcieres-Merlette and the 1973 Tour (where Ocana was as dominant as Merckx ever was) put Ocana on a completely different level from almost any other rider...

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

In a years time he probably wont fit the criteria in this thread

Maybe not, but I don't think he'll be stripped of his 2013 Tour that quickly.

 

[86TDFWinner]

Maybe not, but I don't think he'll be stripped of his 2013 Tour that quickly.

He still has 7 more years if the SOL is correct, there's still time.

 

[ElChingon]

Missing One Hit Wonders:

2002 Vuelta Winner: Aitor Gonzales

 

[rghysens]

Best: Zoetemelk

Worst: Walkowiak.

 

[classic1]

Jan Janssen is a name missing in this thread.

Won the Tour once, Vuelta, World Champion, Paris-Roubaix, Championship of Zurich, Bordeaux-Paris, a couple of Tour points jersies.

 

[GJB123]

um...no.

he gained a handful of seconds on the MTT.

the only stage he gained time really was the second Pyrenean stage that Miller won. He never, ever, would have been allowed that long a leash if he wasn't way back on GC.

and over their entire career, delgado was never in the same league as lemond and fignon. not even close.

My point exactly. To state that Delgado would have won but for the 2.48 minutes dropped in the prologue is rewriting record books using rose tinted glasses at best.

 

[rantanplan]

Best: Bahamontes

Worst: Andy

 

[Echoes]

Merckx doesn't qualify, it's best one hit wonder. Meaning won the Tour only once.

And if that is the meaning of a "one hit wonder" I might be turned into a pink elephant.


Really, how low has CN gone down in a span of 1 or 2 years. Amazing !!! I've seen things on this forum, but not to such level, I think ...

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Wow, I'm surprised that Froome is not included in the list of one day wonders. )

that's because he'll either end up with Seven or with Zero.

 

[perico]

um...no.

he gained a handful of seconds on the MTT.

the only stage he gained time really was the second Pyrenean stage that Miller won. He never, ever, would have been allowed that long a leash if he wasn't way back on GC.

and over their entire career, delgado was never in the same league as lemond and fignon. not even close.

Not in their overall palmares for other races, but for GTs? Yes. Delgado has more podium and top 10 finishes than either of them and 3 GT victories, the same as the other 2. Fignon got his -ss kicked by Delgado quite a few times over his career.

Watch LeMond's comments at 5:06-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgHchoNG1FM

 

[perico]

My point exactly. To state that Delgado would have won but for the 2.48 minutes dropped in the prologue is rewriting record books using rose tinted glasses at best.

And so is saying ''what if LeMond hadn't been shot" he would've won 6 tours. We don't know what would've happened.

The facts are that he was on par with the other 2, if not outright stronger. Had he not been late for the start, he had the 12th best prologue time. He finished 2nd in the first TT, and if you check his Tour TTs from 1987-1991, they are remarkably consistent on top courses. Usually around 5th-12th, at worst. He wasn't going to lose more than 1 minute to 1:30 on LeMond had he started with the rest.

He was not 2:48 down, as everyone here seems to forget. He was 7+ minutes down on LeMond and Fignon heading into the first time trial, and clawed back to within 1:40 before the final TT, which he phoned in.

 

[Afrank]

And if that is the meaning of a "one hit wonder" I might be turned into a pink elephant.


Really, how low has CN gone down in a span of 1 or 2 years. Amazing !!! I've seen things on this forum, but not to such level, I think ...

I don't really understand what point your trying to make here. Anyway, read the OP of the thread, Zam specifically said best and worst rider to have won the Tour once.


By the way to others, Schleck doesn't qualify for worst either. Zam said someone who was not handed the win afterwards.

 

[86TDFWinner]

And so is saying ''what if LeMond hadn't been shot" he would've won 6 tours. We don't know what would've happened.

The facts are that he was on par with the other 2, if not outright stronger. Had he not been late for the start, he had the 12th best prologue time. He finished 2nd in the first TT, and if you check his Tour TTs from 1987-1991, they are remarkably consistent on top courses. Usually around 5th-12th, at worst. He wasn't going to lose more than 1 minute to 1:30 on LeMond had he started with the rest.

He was not 2:48 down, as everyone here seems to forget. He was 7+ minutes down on LeMond and Fignon heading into the first time trial, and clawed back to within 1:40 before the final TT, which he phoned in.

All that is true my friend, BUT........we learned later that Delgado doped, so that negates his "greatness" afaic. Just MY opinion of course.

 

[GJB123]

And so is saying ''what if LeMond hadn't been shot" he would've won 6 tours. We don't know what would've happened.

The facts are that he was on par with the other 2, if not outright stronger. Had he not been late for the start, he had the 12th best prologue time. He finished 2nd in the first TT, and if you check his Tour TTs from 1987-1991, they are remarkably consistent on top courses. Usually around 5th-12th, at worst. He wasn't going to lose more than 1 minute to 1:30 on LeMond had he started with the rest.

He was not 2:48 down, as everyone here seems to forget. He was 7+ minutes down on LeMond and Fignon heading into the first time trial, and clawed back to within 1:40 before the final TT, which he phoned in.

My point is, he would never have been left of the leash in the mountains had he not lost the time in the prologue and the TTT. Nothing you have said negates that. Other than that and I don't know why you are bringing up the LeMond shooting incident. Non one has in this thread as it is of no relevance whatsoever.